Jay Allison

Jay Allison is an American public radio producer and broadcast journalist who has played a significant role in shaping the field of audio storytelling. Allison serves as the executive director of Atlantic Public Media, where he created platforms for independent audio producers, including Public Radio Exchange and the educational website Transom.org. Before entering broadcasting, Allison worked as a theater director, running a storefront theater in Washington, D.C., and collaborating with experimental theaters in New York City. He began producing for radio after borrowing a tape recorder from a friend at NPR, teaching himself to record, edit, and mix audio, and becoming known for integrating dramatic, theatrical sound design into his stories.

Over his career, Allison has produced hundreds of documentaries, essays, and special series for national and international broadcast, earning numerous industry awards for his productions and collaborations. He has been a frequent contributor to NPR news programs and "This American Life," and is a six-time Peabody Award winner. Among his notable productions, Allison co-produced "The Miles Davis Radio Project," a multi-part audio series created with music documentarian Steve Rowland and poet Quincy Troupe, which incorporated original and archived interviews with Miles Davis and previously unreleased material. He also revived Edward R. Murrow's 1950s radio program "This I Believe" with collaborator Dan Gediman, a series collecting first-person audio essays that premiered on NPR's "All Things Considered" and "Morning Edition." Allison hosted and produced "This I Believe" on NPR and co-edited the companion books.

Allison is also a host and producer of "The Moth Radio Hour," a national public radio series that received a Peabody Award. "The Moth Radio Hour" features true stories told live on stage without scripts, notes, props, or accompaniment, offering a mix of humorous, heartbreaking, and poignant tales. The program is produced by The Moth and Allison of Atlantic Public Media. His work on the series reflects a commitment to authentic human narrative, a philosophy that has established him as a trusted voice in public radio and audio journalism.

In addition to his broadcast work, Allison launched Transom.org, a community website where new producers can take online classes, share their work, and receive feedback. Transom.org became the first free-standing website to receive a Peabody Award. Allison also launched Public Radio Exchange, a digital marketplace for independent audio content, and played a central role in the founding of FRONTLINE's original podcast series, The FRONTLINE Dispatch. He received the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's Edward R. Murrow Award for outstanding contributions to public radio. Through his work as a producer, educator, and institution-builder, Allison has influenced generations of audio storytellers and contributed to the evolution of public media.